Critical factors for transferring and sharing tacit knowledge within lean and agile construction processes

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) associated with the effectiveness of transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge in lean and agile construction processes. Design/methodology/approach The study identifies ten CSFs that initiate the transferring and sharing of tacit knowledge. The CSFs are validated through quantitative study. This study recruited project managers, executives, consultants and other managers that are directly involved in the management of a construction project. It recruits the respondents those have background and experience from disciplines such as lean construction, agile construction, construction supply chain (CSC) and knowledge management in lean, agile and CSC. The data collected through self-administrative questionnaire are categorised as ordinal data to analyse in SPSS with frequency and Kruskal–Wallis H test, Spearman’s correlation analysis and a rank-order analysis is done to establish the level of importance of those factors. Findings Initially, “Trust between construction organisations” is identified as the foremost CSF. Moreover, other CSFs such as motivation, leadership capabilities, business strategies and organisational capabilities follow trust. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates and establishes the CSFs that are essential to initiate transferring and sharing tacit knowledge in a lean and in an agile construction processes

Geometallurgical characterization of the Kittilä gold ore deposit

Comminution testing is a key component to geometallurgical characterization of different ore types. Through comminution tests, valuable information is extracted regarding the breakage mechanisms of the rock, which can be used to enhance the processing operations, including ore blending, circuit design and mill optimization. Most geotechnical tests require large amounts of sample, expensive equipment and are very time consuming. Standard test methods like uniaxial compressive strength and fracture toughness are not considered appropriate in comminution characterization. Alternatively, simple and rapid methods have been used in this study to determine comminution indexes. The results from the comminution tests were used to characterize the grindability and crushability properties of six different ore types from the Kittilä Au deposit in Northern Finland. In summary, the tests which were conducted for this study include the Bond Ball mill grindability test, the Los Angeles abrasion test, the Point Load Strength test and the JK Drop Weight impact test. Additionally, the mineral composition, content and microstructures of the ore types have been determined through optical microscopy and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Statistical interpretation and correlations were carried out between the various tests and the modal composition of the six sample groups, using the statistical software IBM SPSS. From the results, the six ore groups were classified in the range of moderate hard crush to hard crush, while the grindability fluctuated between moderate hard grinding to very hard grinding. It was concluded that the mineral composition, textures and microstructures have as effect on the ore’s resistance to breakage mechanisms. Due to the simplicity and empirical nature of the comminution tests used in this study, the data cannot be used directly for mill circuit optimization. However, the data from this study can be implemented in future research for determining geometallurgical properties using rapid-remote techniques that will utilize real time mine to mill informatio

Intracardiac electrogram method of VV-delay optimization in biventricular pacemakers

Ventricle to ventricle (VV) delay optimization can provide an additional benefit to cardiac resynchronization therapy, but the methods currently used for optimization are time consuming and operator-dependent. We present two cases of VV-delay optimization with the use of a new intracardiac electrogram method. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 305-310

Velocity Occupancy Space: Autonomous Navigation and Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance with Sensor and Actuation Error.

Videos and VOS display of experimental tests with SuperDroid robot. The video shows the robot performing autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance. The VOS display shows a representation of some of the internal computation that is performed in order to build the velocity occupancy search space. Please see Chapter 4 for more details on experimental set-up.In order to autonomously navigate in an unknown environment, a robotic vehicle must be able to sense obstacles, determine their velocities, then select and execute a collision-free path that will lead quickly to a goal. However, the perceived location and motion of the obstacles will be uncertain due to the limited accuracy of the robot’s sensors. Thus, it is necessary to develop a system that can avoid moving obstacles using uncertain sensor data. The method proposed here is based on an occupancy grid —which has previously been used to avoid stationary obstacles in an uncertain environment—in conjunction with velocity obstacles—which allow a robot to avoid well-known moving obstacles. The combination of these techniques leads to velocity occupancy space (VOS): a search space which allows the robot to avoid moving obstacles and navigate efficiently to a goal using uncertain sensor data. However, the basic VOS concept assumes holonomic robots that are capable of instantaneous and error free velocity changes¬ - capabilities that are not possessed by actual vehicles. Therefore, two extensions are derived by which VOS is adapted to work with actual robotic vehicles. The first extension to VOS is for an acceleration controlled, differential drive robot. Two different techniques by which the differentially drive robot may approximate the velocity of a holonomic robot are derived and evaluated. They are then combined in order to allow the robot to select the best method based on the robot’s current state. The second extension to the basic VOS algorithm is designed to explicitly account for the actuation error experienced in typical robotic vehicles. The velocity obstacles are augmented to account for both the error in the robot’s current position as well as the velocity error that will occur while the robot attempts to follow the command velocity so that these sources of error does not cause a collision. Numerous simulation trials have been used to validate the original VOS concept as well as the two extensions. Experimental trials, with a typical, differentially driven robotic vehicle with actuation error, have demonstrated the success of VOS under real world conditions.Ph.D.Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/1/rachbis_1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/2/rachbis_2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/6/F1 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/7/Presentation Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/8/F1 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/9/F2 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/10/F2 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/11/F3 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/12/F3 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/13/F4 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/14/F5 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/15/F5 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/16/F6 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/17/F6 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/18/F7 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/19/F7 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/20/F4 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/21/F9 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/22/F9 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/23/F10 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/24/F10 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/25/F11 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/26/F11 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/27/F12 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/28/F12 VOS.avihttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/29/F13 Video.wmvhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91547/30/F13 VOS.av

Safety hazards associated with the charging of lithium/sulfur dioxide cells

A continuing research program to assess the responses of spirally wound, lithium/sulfur dioxide cells to charging as functions of charging current, temperature, and cell condition prior to charging is described. Partially discharged cells that are charged at currents greater than one ampere explode with the time to explosion inversely proportional to the charging current. Cells charged at currents of less than one ampere may fail in one of several modes. The data allows an empirical prediction of when certain cells will fail given a constant charging current

Double Exponential Instability of Triangular Arbitrage Systems

If financial markets displayed the informational efficiency postulated in the efficient markets hypothesis (EMH), arbitrage operations would be self-extinguishing. The present paper considers arbitrage sequences in foreign exchange (FX) markets, in which trading platforms and information are fragmented. In Kozyakin et al. (2010) and Cross et al. (2012) it was shown that sequences of triangular arbitrage operations in FX markets containing 4 currencies and trader-arbitrageurs tend to display periodicity or grow exponentially rather than being self-extinguishing. This paper extends the analysis to 5 or higher-order currency worlds. The key findings are that in a 5-currency world arbitrage sequences may also follow an exponential law as well as display periodicity, but that in higher-order currency worlds a double exponential law may additionally apply. There is an "inheritance of instability" in the higher-order currency worlds. Profitable arbitrage operations are thus endemic rather that displaying the self-extinguishing properties implied by the EMH.Comment: 22 pages, 22 bibliography references, expanded Introduction and Conclusion, added bibliohraphy reference

Chemical analysis of charged Li/SO(sub)2 cells

The initial focus of the program was to confirm that charging can indeed result in explosions and constitute a significant safety problem. Results of this initial effort clearly demonstrated that cells do indeed explode on charge and that charging does indeed constitute a real and severe safety problem. The results of the effort to identify the chemical reactions involved in and responsible for the observed behavior are described